Glaucoma: 3% of the population is affected and does not know it – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

This Tuesday is World Glaucoma Day and, throughout the week and in various public and private hospitals nationwide, a national free screening campaign will be conducted on this disease showing no symptoms but can cause total blindness if this Is processed at the hour.

Following this commemoration, the Argentinean Council of Ophthalmology (OAC), with the support of Transitions Optical, will carry out its traditional national glaucoma detection campaign, which will be free and open to all.

Checks in Mendoza

In the province, people interested in testing can badist different public effectors, such as: Carmen Hospital from 8 to 16 years old; There will also be checks at the Association for Glaucoma Treatment and Central Hospital from 8 to 13.

According to indications from central specialists, attention will be focused on the ophthalmology department, located on the first floor in the east. There will be free checks. In the order of arrival, patients will be followed and the corresponding examination will be carried out to determine whether they are suffering from the disease or not, as well as to guide them in the steps to be followed in case of pathology detection.

For more information, interested parties can contact the Ophthalmology Department of Central Hospital, at phone number 4490565.

It should be noted that only undiagnosed patients can be monitored. The idea of ​​the campaign is to detect patients who do not know that they have the pathology.

The diagnosis is made by measuring the eye pressure. The sooner the diagnosis is diagnosed, the greater the risk of severe loss of sight.

What is the disease?

Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that, if not treated in time, causes irreversible damage. This occurs, in most cases, by the increase in eye pressure.

Although progress is progressive, Silvana Stagnoli, an ophthalmologist with the Association for the Treatment of Glaucoma, said that today there is a lot of awareness of the disease.

"The spread in the media has led people to internalize the problem, to consult and to carry out the appropriate controls," said the specialist.

Prevention

According to Stagnoli, regular consultation with the ophthalmologist is very important for prevention and detection. Although the damage is irreversible, its progress can be stopped once detected.

"The disease can affect children and adults, it makes no distinction.In Argentina, the disease affects over a million people, more than 3% of the population over 40 years and 7% more than 75 years old, "said the specialist.